Monday, March 28, 2011

Dilemma

I have a dilemma... is that even spelled right?  I keep messing with it but according to the spell check gods it's right... don't judge me. (c:

So, I was offered the PDS (professional development specialist or nurse educator) job at work.  Here's my dilemas, yes, dilemas as I may be getting an ulcer.  I do get about a $4-5 wage increase BUT it's a salary position, so I think y'all know what the means, I'll be paid for 20 hours a week but probably put in more along the lines of 30 hours.  Coming from an hourly position, with compensation for every minute I work, this ends up being a decrease in income by about $900.  For us (joc and I and the bambino), this might not be the worst case scenario, but I've been itching to get more hours, in fact have been picking up at least a 12 a week, if not a pay period over the past 3 months.  I will not be able to work consistent hours on my unit if I take the job.  Due to the hourly and salary positions, it violates fair labor laws for me to do this and therefore the HR department could get in trouble and therefore they won't allow it.  My new boss and her boss won't let me be hourly in the PDS role either as it would be unfair to the other PDSs who are all salary... so they'd be mad at me in return, which makes for a great work environment.

Now, I've been parttime for the past year now, maybe more than a year now, and paying part time benefits.  Yes, they are more expensive and I'll still be looking at the same in the PDS role... plus a new dependent with the bambino since thank you to the prejudice and ignorance of people in power, I can't let Jocelyn put us on her benefits but I digress into another issue.  So, basically, I'd be paying more in benefits and making less a year.... seems like an obvious choice doesn't it?

Well, there in lies my problem.  PDS roles do not come around often, seriously, people who are in an educator role seem to stay there forever... the people I'd be joining have been in their positions for longer than I've worked at the hospital and I haven't seen a position posted for this ever at my hospital.  It's a nice job, I feel very passionate about taking it and having a fun time working with the new grads and orientees and trying to get education crap out to my staff nurses.  And to be humble for a moment, I think I'd be really good at it.

I spoke to the CNO (chief nursing officer) today on the phone, and she offered me a possible solution:  there's an admission coordinator job that I could work one 12 hour shift a week at, in a salary position, so I get more hours.  I think it consists of answering the phone, coordinating patient admissions... sort of a boring desk job that I wouldn't love but it'd get me 12 hours more a week to supplement my income.  I countered asking for a salary position at 24 hours a week (instead of the 20 hr/week), which would then increase my yearly income by about $6,000.  She is crunching her budget numbers and will let me know by the end of the week.

I'm torn... does it come down to money or enjoying your work?  What do I choose?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Salutations!

Hello there!  Just doing a great job procrastinating my thank you's from my work babyshower.  I was supposed to do them Tuesday but I found something (I don't even remember what) to do instead then I worked the last few days and now here it is Friday.  We have another babyshower on Sunday, a small one with Joc's work people and another shared babyshower as we are both working with someone who is due in the beginning of April.  I am so gonna get them done today!  Otherwise, the pile will just keep growing, like me!

Speaking of growing, I feel like I'm growing bigger everyday, I haven't shaved my legs in months (not something new for me) but I realized that it's going to be a challenge to shave them well in the next few months.  We are 30 weeks today!  That means this kid could come in the next two months!  That's crazy.  That means I need to start worrying about grooming as I'm not sure how much time I will have between onset of labor and preparing to get to the hospital.  We have our birthing class in April but I'm not sure that's going to be too useful really.  I'll have to wait and find out.  So, that's all the details I'll go into but I will say I can't really bend over well/easily anymore so I might have to devise a plan B!

In non-baby news, I got the new job!  It was changed from a full time spot to two part time slots... the only thing I'll say is I wanted full time and now we are running into snags of how to get me full time combined with staff nursing.  I haven't started, in fact it's been a little bit of a fubar so I hope it's not foreshadowing of what the job will be.  I'm also in email talks with Ferris to possibly do clinical teaching in the Fall with them, since they do it locally (I could probably go back to MSU but with a new kid, the commute and a different job, I'm not sure how it would go for me).  It sucks that we are waiting on deciding on daycare until I can have a more solid schedule... but that might not happen before the baby even comes!  I'm happy about the new job, it starts in the beginning of April, but it hasn't been the smoothest transition.  Let's hope it plays out better in the next week or so.